Bookbed reviews: ‘What Kids Should Know About Andres and the Katipunan’ (plus a giveaway!)

Andres Bonifacio has never been my top answer for whenever somebody asks me who my favorite Filipino hero is. (Don’t worry; it’s not Manny Pacquiao, either.) Frankly, there was just too much Jose Rizal in the environment I grew up in, ending up with me having only a shallow grasp of what Bonifacio’s story was. Of course, I knew he was the Supremo, the father of the Philippine revolution, but when I picked up What Kids Should Know About Andres and the Katipunan (written by Weng Cahiles, illustrated by Isa Natividad), I found out, well, how cool he actually was.

THE STORY

Who was Andres Bonifacio? How was Andres as a brother, a husband, and as a revolutionary leader? Here is a handy reference for children on the life of the Supremo and the Katipunan.

WHAT I LIKED

Written in a tone that would engage any reader at any age, the book talks about the secrets of the Katipunan (or the Kataastaasan Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan) and also reveals possibly never-before shared details of Bonifacio’s personal life—how he was as a brother, a family man and a leader.

For example, I loved finding out that the Supremo was a reader himself! And that the Katipuneros had secret handshakes they used when meeting in public to distinguish themselves as members of the KKK.

The art was also something I enjoyed a lot that I thought I would *gasp* cut out a couple of them to make into a collage. They complimented the narrative so well it was a breeze to finish the book in an hour.

The bonus? There were also activities for kids after every chapter and even though I’m already almost 25, you bet I still made my own Katipunan flag and cracked that code, Katipunan writing system-style.

tl;dr

Ask me who my new favorite hero is. But you already probably know, thanks to What Kids Should Know About Andres. ☁

GIVEAWAY!

We have two (2) signed copies waiting for you! Answer the question “Who is your hero and why?” in the comments section below. Winners shall be chosen by the 31st of July. Good luck!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Jesse Aspril and Kathryn Anne Hilario! Email hello@bookbed.org. Thanks to everyone who joined the giveaway. Until the next one! ☁

9 replies on “Bookbed reviews: ‘What Kids Should Know About Andres and the Katipunan’ (plus a giveaway!)”

Just like you, I used to answer Jose Rizal. Who would not choose him–intelligent, brave, plus he’s not into killing people. However, I learned that Andres Bonifacio’s legacy is far greater than Rizal’s. He taught us, Filipinos, to ACT and not just ASK for reform. He showed us that through collective actions, we can win, no matter how big our enemy is. We should be like Andres, we should.

The soldiers who fought during the war are my heroes. We may not know all of them by their names or what kind of life they have lived before the war, but one thing is for sure, they have fought hard and sacrificed their lives defending our country and our freedom. We ought them big time.

Whenever people ask me who my hero is, my immediate response has always been my Mom. She is Wonder Woman and Mother Teresa rolled into one and though we may have our differences, at the end of the day it’s her who I can always count on. A real-life superhero, she is.

Next to her, it would have to be my students. They are insane (!!! for emphasis), but lo and behold, they help me keep my sanity. The one thing about heroes is that they rarely know nor see how they save you–that’s how it works for me and my students.

Our Story

Bookbed started as an online secondhand bookstore in 2010. Four years later, it grew into the community that it is today. We have a core team of six and around 120 contributors and volunteers from different parts of the Philippines and the world. Over the years, we have worked with readers, bloggers, published authors, aspiring writers, artists, advocacy groups, schools, communities, brands, bookstores, book cafes and government agencies. We believe that reading shapes dreams, and dreams shape lives. ☁